Senator Kennedy endorsed his fellow St. Tammany Parish resident, Republican former state Representative [[John Schroder]] in the special election runoff held on November 18, 2017, to choose Kennedy's successor as state treasurer. Schroder won his race for treasurer.

Senator Kennedy endorsed his fellow St. Tammany Parish resident, Republican former state Representative [[John Schroder]] in the special election runoff held on November 18, 2017, to choose Kennedy's successor as state treasurer. Schroder won his race for treasurer.

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In June 2018, Kennedy called upon Louisiana's Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]] to step down from his position and turn the office over to Lieutenant Governor [[Billy Nungesser]], a Republican. Kennedy is critical of Edwards' repeated calling of special legislative sessions to obtain more tax increases to close a state budget deficit. Kennedy maintains spending must first be reduced before higher taxes should be considered. Edwards' office called Kennedy's demand "absurd."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_a5197e72-6e5c-11e8-a322-fff7ebf6289f.html|title=Sen. John Kennedy: John Bel Edwards should resign; governor's office says that's 'absurd' |publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 12, 2018|author=Elizabeth Crisp|accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref> Kennedy's opposition to Edwards drew the scrutiny of the [[liberal]] ''Baton Rouge Advocate'' newspaper, which claimed the U.S. senator is using his office as "a platform for politically absurd suggestions" and should instead "focus on what is really important to those that elected him. The U.S. Senate, Kennedy's ostensible workplace, hasn't exactly been a model of accomplishment lately. If the senator is worried about the lack of political leadership these days, he should start by looking into the mirror."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_86570780-6e7e-11e8-b7ff-23a402c6376d.html|title=Our Views: John Kennedy worried about lack of leadership? He should look into the mirror (commentary)|publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 12, 2018|accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref>

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==Potential gubernatorial candidacy in 2011==

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In March 2018, Kennedy accused Governor John Bel Edwards , whom he may challenge for reelection in 2019, of attempting to tax the state into prosperity. Kennedy said that believes Louisiana voters as a whole do believe there is a state fiscal crisis. Edwards' office disputed Kennedy's criticism and said the former state treasurer has offer no solutions for state financial problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_8524f6f0-2181-11e8-877a-6f530176b7d4.html|title=U.S. Sen. John Kennedy blisters Gov. John Bel Edwards, says voters doubt fiscal crisis|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Will Sentell|date=March 6, 2018|accessdate=August 11, 2018}}</ref>

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In June 2018, Kennedy called upon Louisiana's Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]] to step down from his position and turn the office over to Lieutenant Governor [[Billy Nungesser]], a Republican. Kennedy was critical of Edwards' repeated calling of special legislative sessions to obtain more tax increases to close a state budget deficit. Kennedy maintains spending must first be reduced before higher taxes should be considered. Edwards' office called Kennedy's demand "absurd."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_a5197e72-6e5c-11e8-a322-fff7ebf6289f.html|title=Sen. John Kennedy: John Bel Edwards should resign; governor's office says that's 'absurd' |publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 12, 2018|author=Elizabeth Crisp|accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref> Kennedy's opposition to Edwards drew the scrutiny of the [[liberal]] ''Baton Rouge Advocate'' newspaper, which claimed the U.S. senator is using his office as "a platform for politically absurd suggestions" and should instead "focus on what is really important to those that elected him. The U. S. Senate, Kennedy's ostensible workplace, hasn't exactly been a model of accomplishment lately. If the senator is worried about the lack of political leadership these days, he should start by looking into the mirror."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/our_views/article_86570780-6e7e-11e8-b7ff-23a402c6376d.html|title=Our Views: John Kennedy worried about lack of leadership? He should look into the mirror (commentary)|publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 12, 2018|accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref>

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In August 2018, Kennedy criticized Edwards in regard to criminal justice overhaul. Kennedy said that Edwards advocated a "soft approach" to dangerous prisoners. Kennedy noted that he had warned that early prison releases backed by Edwards would lead to murders: "it was inevitable." Kennedy said that Edwards "just thinks these guys are sick and confused. I think a lot of them are bad." Kennedy sent a letter to President Trump outlining the senator's opposition to Edwards' criminal justice policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=

Kennedy's 2016 landslide victory for the Senate over the Democrat Foster Lonnie Campbell, Jr., of Bossier Parish was in sharp contrast to the two losing races that he had made for the Senate in 2004 as a Democrat against RepublicanDavid Vitter and in 2008 as a Republican against Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. When Vitter did not seek a third term in the Senate in 2016, after he lost a race for governor in 2015 to the Democrat John Bel Edwards, Kennedy launched his third bid for the position. He had mended fences with Vitter, whom he supported in the gubernatorial race, and Vitter backed Kennedy as his successor.

In 1988, Kennedy first entered politics as the special legal counsel for incoming Governor Buddy Roemer, a Democrat who switched parties in 1991. He returned to the private practice of law until 1996, when Governor Mike Foster, another Democrat-turned-Republican, appointed Kennedy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue.[1]

Though born in southwestern Mississippi, Kennedy was reared in Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish, near the capital city of Baton Rouge. He resides in Madisonville in St. Tammany Parish is suburbanNew Orleans, sixty-six miles from Baton Rouge.

Senator Kennedy endorsed his fellow St. Tammany Parish resident, Republican former state Representative John Schroder in the special election runoff held on November 18, 2017, to choose Kennedy's successor as state treasurer. Schroder won his race for treasurer.

Potential gubernatorial candidacy in 2011

In March 2018, Kennedy accused Governor John Bel Edwards , whom he may challenge for reelection in 2019, of attempting to tax the state into prosperity. Kennedy said that believes Louisiana voters as a whole do believe there is a state fiscal crisis. Edwards' office disputed Kennedy's criticism and said the former state treasurer has offer no solutions for state financial problems.[2]

In June 2018, Kennedy called upon Louisiana's Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards to step down from his position and turn the office over to Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, a Republican. Kennedy was critical of Edwards' repeated calling of special legislative sessions to obtain more tax increases to close a state budget deficit. Kennedy maintains spending must first be reduced before higher taxes should be considered. Edwards' office called Kennedy's demand "absurd."[3] Kennedy's opposition to Edwards drew the scrutiny of the liberalBaton Rouge Advocate newspaper, which claimed the U.S. senator is using his office as "a platform for politically absurd suggestions" and should instead "focus on what is really important to those that elected him. The U. S. Senate, Kennedy's ostensible workplace, hasn't exactly been a model of accomplishment lately. If the senator is worried about the lack of political leadership these days, he should start by looking into the mirror."[4]

In August 2018, Kennedy criticized Edwards in regard to criminal justice overhaul. Kennedy said that Edwards advocated a "soft approach" to dangerous prisoners. Kennedy noted that he had warned that early prison releases backed by Edwards would lead to murders: "it was inevitable." Kennedy said that Edwards "just thinks these guys are sick and confused. I think a lot of them are bad." Kennedy sent a letter to President Trump outlining the senator's opposition to Edwards' criminal justice policies.[5]